India is charting a decisive course toward knowledge sovereignty in scholarly publishing, leveraging national policy instruments and large-scale consortia to reduce dependence on foreign publishers and ensure equitable access to research outputs generated by its own scholars.

ONOS: A Landmark Initiative for Nationwide Access

The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet in late 2024, represents the cornerstone of this effort. It negotiates centralised access to more than 13,000 full-text journals from over 30 international publishers for more than 6,500 government higher education and research institutions. This covers nearly 1.8 crore students, faculty and researchers across central and state universities, colleges including medical colleges, and central government R&D institutions.

Funded with approximately ₹6,000 crore over three years, ONOS aligns with the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat@2047. It consolidates multiple institutional and consortia subscriptions to eliminate duplication and deliver substantial cost savings per user while broadening access far beyond elite institutions.

Historical Foundations of Open Access in India

India’s journey toward open scholarly communication dates back more than two decades. The National Knowledge Commission in 2006 recommended open access as a strategy to broaden opportunities. Subsequent mandates from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University Grants Commission (UGC), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Department of Science & Technology (DST) required funded research and theses to be made openly available.

Shodhganga, the digital repository for Indian theses launched in 2011 by INFLIBNET, became a landmark infrastructure project. These early steps laid the groundwork for the more ambitious national-scale initiatives now underway.

Knowledge Sovereignty as Policy Imperative

Discussions in Indian science policy circles increasingly frame scholarly publishing through the lens of knowledge sovereignty — the capacity of a nation to control, validate and benefit from its own research outputs rather than remaining a net payer to foreign commercial publishers. Commentators note that while India ranks among the world’s top research producers, a significant portion of its scholarly output remains locked behind paywalls managed abroad.

ONOS is presented as a pragmatic first step that secures immediate access while creating space for longer-term investments in domestic publishing infrastructure, diamond open access models and national repositories.

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Role of Key Regulatory and Funding Bodies

The University Grants Commission (UGC), Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Principal Scientific Adviser’s office have been central to shaping the policy environment. ANRF, established under the ANRF Act, explicitly aims to seed research culture in tier-2 and tier-3 institutions — precisely the institutions that stand to gain most from ONOS.

INFLIBNET continues to play a pivotal technical role in managing the ONOS platform and ensuring seamless access across participating institutions.

Challenges and Criticisms

While ONOS has been widely welcomed, analysts caution that it remains a subscription-based “Big Deal” model rather than a full transition to open access. Public libraries are currently excluded, and questions remain about long-term sustainability and the development of Indian-owned publishing platforms.

Calls are growing for India to move beyond subsidising foreign publishers and instead invest in home-grown diamond open access journals, preprint servers and national infrastructure that would truly advance knowledge sovereignty.

Comparative Global Context

India’s approach is being watched alongside similar initiatives elsewhere. China is prioritising domestic publishing capacity, Europe and Latin America have long championed public infrastructure for open access, and Australia is emphasising immediate open access. ONOS positions India among nations seeking greater control over the scholarly communication ecosystem.

Implications for Researchers and Institutions

For Indian academics, ONOS dramatically expands the literature available without institutional paywalls. Researchers in smaller or newer institutions now have access comparable to that of elite universities. The scheme also supports compliance with open access mandates from funding agencies and aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 emphasis on research excellence.

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Future Outlook and Next Steps

ONOS is widely viewed as an essential bridge. The next phase is expected to include stronger support for open access publishing by Indian researchers, development of national repositories, and policies that incentivise publishing in high-quality domestic or diamond open access venues. Continued engagement with global open science movements while protecting national interests will define India’s trajectory.

Conclusion

India’s push for knowledge sovereignty in scholarly publishing through ONOS and related policies marks a significant evolution in how the country manages and values its research ecosystem. By combining large-scale access agreements with a long-term vision for self-reliance, India is positioning itself to ensure that the knowledge produced by its scholars serves national development goals and remains accessible to its citizens.